Joining Forces, Joining Hearts
by CuteKick
Summary: Aya gives in to her feelings for Jodie. She discovers an new evil plot surrounding NMC reasearch and runs into a guy named Leon Kennedy along the way. They team up to find out the truth concering the latest outbreak. Aya/Jodie romance. Please review! :-


**(This story takes place before the events of Parasite Eve 2. I'm planning on at least one more chapter, if not two. But depending on how it goes I may just edit it to be a stand alone piece. Hope you enjoy this first chapter!)**

MIST Headquarter, 1900hrs

Eric Baldwin sat at his desk sipping a cup of fresh coffee. A couple of his agents would be joining him soon to receive their briefing on the new mission, one that had him a bit worried. Since taking over the MIST project, Baldwin had pretty much seen it all. As such, it was not the nature of this most recent incident that bothered him. What had him scratching his head is that he didn't have anything to do with it this time. As part of his arrangement with the developing Neo Ark government, he had been assured that all NMC experimentation plans would be run by him first. It worked out in everyone's best interest if Baldwin was given the opportunity to edit the reports that his team received. But this time, with no word from Neo Ark confirming or denying involvement, he wasn't sure what do other than to send in an agent and see how things played out.

There was a knock on his door; it was time to get the show on the road.

"Come in," he said.

He already knew who it was; he could feel that woman's strange presence whenever she was within any reasonable proximity, so it was no surprise when agent Brea walked into the room. He eyed her casually. She was smoking hot, to be sure, but she was the damned strangest thing he had ever seen. She creeped him out more than any NMC out there could ever hope to, and for that reason Baldwin was always very eager to get her away from him. Secretly, of course; it wouldn't serve him well at all to start acting suspicious.

"Got another one for me?" Aya said sweetly.

She was so creepy! "I do," Baldwin replied, "and this one could be big. Take a seat."

The other agent he was expecting poked his head in, then, and Baldwin waved him in. Pierce Carradine entered the office and took the second seat in front of Baldwin's desk, next to Aya. If Baldwin had to pick one of his team to keep the strictest tabs on, it was Carradine. His position as lead data analyst made him the biggest threat to discovering the secret dealings with Neo Ark. While Pierce looked like an idiot and acted like a love-sick school boy around Aya Brea, Baldwin was not so careless as to underestimate a fool's luck.

Baldwin cleared his throat. "Any chance I could convince you to take those sunglasses off? This isn't the world poker tournament."

Pierce simply straightened his vest and shrugged, earning a little giggle from Aya.

"I didn't think so," Baldwin said with a sigh. "Anyway, we have a situation at the Island Hotel down in Newport Beach. You may have already seen or heard it on the news. The hotel was hosting a conference for some bio-medical bigwigs when all hell broke loose. The story the press is being given is the standard animal attack bit we always use. A special response team was sent there as soon as the first 9-1-1 call was made, and only one of them lived to tell the tale. Since they handed it off to us, I'm sure you can guess that whatever is going on down there isn't animals."

"NMC action," Aya said.

"What scattered information the lone SRT member was able to bring back details activity that can only be classified as NMCs," said Baldwin. He hated not knowing what was actually going on. The location and timing for something like this just wasn't making sense to him. He was extremely anxious to get this meeting over and make contact with Neo Ark to get some answers.

"What's the plan?" asked Aya, although she already knew that it involved her going in alone to handle the problem, or, if she couldn't do it alone, to assess the situation and get out with as much intel as she could.

"You're going in alone," Baldwin replied and took note of Aya's little smile. "Of course, you already knew that. Take this one a little more carefully, Aya. I know that you're… special. But seven highly trained agents lost their lives in there, and one can barely talk about what actually happened. If we are dealing with a brand new NMC threat then we can't afford to take any chances."

He looked at Pierce for the first time. "I want constant surveillance and communication with Agent Brea at all times," he said. "Use whatever resources you need to keep track of her every breath. Main office will have as much technical support as you need on-site, and the local authorities are aware that they will be cooperating with us as well, whether they want to or not. Got it? Constant surveillance, Carradine."

"Got it, sir," Pierce said. He was more than happy to have a direct order to be in continuous contact with Aya Brea.

"That's all we have until we get down there," Baldwin concluded hurriedly. "Your support unit will be standing by for you outside the perimeter at the hotel. Take any special equipment you think you'll need."

The agents stood and began making their way to the door. "Oh, and Aya," Baldwin called after her. "I almost forgot to tell you that Miss Bouquet wants you to go see her before you leave."

Aya nodded and was on her way, and as soon as the office door closed behind her, Baldwin was making a phone call.

* * *

><p>Turing the concepts for Aya's new gear into a reality had consumed almost every waking minute of Jodie Bouquet's time for many months, not mention an enormous chunk of her research and development funding. It had become an obsession for her, her reason for waking up each day. Every spec had to be perfect for Aya. Testing and retesting, scrapping and redrawing, and then all of it all over again, had finally yielded the results that Jodie was looking for. Her unreasonable performance standards where what made everything she touched golden, and her new products were her best work yet. Jodie was determined to never let Aya go on a mission without the most sophisticated gear on the planet.<p>

As she was setting out Aya's new gear, the door to her equipment lab opened slowly, and Aya peeked her head in.

"You wanted to see me?" Aya said smiling. She came all the way into the room and closed the door. "I definitely wanted to see you."

Jodie's face flushed and she smiled at Aya, her big brown eyes sparkling happily. "Yes I did want to see you, Agent Brea," she replied. "I have something very special for you to take on this new mission."

Aya's face lit up excitedly; Jodie's creations were never a disappointment. "Oh, I can't wait," she said moving closer to the beautiful weapons expert. "Show me." Aya offered her hand.

Jodie took Aya's hand in hers and giggled girlishly. It never ceased to make her heart race whenever they touched, even in the slightest way. She led Aya over to the table where the gear was waiting for her. There was a vest, a handgun, and an assault rifle, all looking shiny and new. These were the most advanced pieces of combat gear in the world; Jodie had made sure of it. The excitement she felt as she was getting ready to present them to Aya was unmatched. Jodie had been waiting for this moment since she first met Aya, since she took her first look into those mesmerizing blue eyes of hers. These projects were a piece of her, a piece of her that she was now giving to Aya.

"I want to start with your brand new body armor, it's my pride and joy," Jodie said excitedly. "I developed it to fit you and you only. It was made for your body, Aya." She looked longingly at Aya's gorgeous torso, which was outlined rather flatteringly beneath her white t-shirt. It had been a hot and confusing pleasure to have obsessed over Aya's shapeliness in order to get the design just right, and now she was equally as happy just to admire the woman simply because she liked to.

"It carries a protection level far past any body armor available," Jodie continued as her face flushed hotly, "including all unspecified levels given to special operations armor. The material used to create the ballistic plating is an enhanced form of carborundum. This compound is used to develop other types of armor plating, but in those instances the carborundum is all synthetic. Yours, however, is made from completely pristine, one-hundred percent naturally occurring carborundum, made possible only through my close contacts at NASA. The quantity needed to develop a full set of armor like this can't be found in the small natural deposits on Earth, but is rather common around stars and meteorites. Aya, your vest is made out of stardust!"

Aya looked at Jodie with amazement. "I… I don't even know what to say. That's just incredible."

Jodie was beaming with pride. "Also, unlike the overlapping design used by some systems, which places plates partially on top of plates, the carborundum in this vest is intricately woven together and layered. There is no place in this vest where there is only one layer of plating between you and danger. The enhancement to the carborundum I mentioned makes these weaves as flexible as you need them to be and not lose a single bit of its ballistic quality. The aramid outer fabric was prepared using a highly classified process that makes it double the strength of Kevlar and is twice as pliable. It is fire resistant up to temperatures well over five hundred degrees, blast and impact resistant as well. I have named this piece of armor, 'Aya Skin'."

"And Aya Skin is pink, I see," Aya said and the two girls laughed together.

"Yes, pink!" Jodie said. "With white trim. I can't very well wrap your beautiful body in an ugly piece of equipment. Now then, try it on!"

Aya looked the armor for a moment, studying the craftsmanship. She picked it up and was surprised at how light it felt. It was designed to go right over her head and then close at the sides, but Aya was having trouble find where to clasp the straps.

"Oh, let me help you," Jodie offered eagerly. She walked behind Aya and slowly put her arms around the vest. "It's very simple," she said softly.

Aya smelled so good! Jodie dared to press her body ever so slightly against Aya's back.

"You just lift this front flap-"Jodie lifted the Velcro flap- "and stick the bands to it as tight as you want." She strapped on one and then the other, taking her time and enjoying being so close to Aya. "And then close the flap again to secure it."

She secured the flap over the bands, smoothing it out in exaggerated fashion.

Aya, meanwhile, almost forgot to open her eyes again when the vest was completely on. She wanted to lean back into Jodie's arms so badly! Aya had felt the girl's warm breath on her neck as she was explaining the vest and it sent wonderful shivers through her body. She imagined Jodie's pretty lips moving as she listened to her instructions, those lips that had teased her ever since their first conversation. Ever so cautiously Aya had pressed herself back until she could feel Jodie's lap against her behind. It had been a year since Aya joined the MIST team there, and it had been one whole year of fantasies about Jodie.

Jodie made Aya's mitochondria go nuclear more so than anything that Eve could have ever hoped to throw her way, and she loved every second of it.

"Aya… You're going to melt all of my hard work if you're not careful."

Jodie's giggling was coming from in front of her now, and Aya snapped her eyes open. Her face was flushed, she could feel it, and with her fair complexion she knew there was no hiding it. "Sorry," was all she could say.

"How does it fit?" Jodie asked to spare Aya the uncomfortable silence. She was absolutely enthralled with Aya's reaction to her. If her mitochondria were special too, they would have ignited the place already.

Aya had to admit it fit like a glove. The vest looked and felt like it was formed to her body by hand. It outlined her every contour and hugged her flanks comfortably. The bottom of the vest curved from her bottom ribs and went up just under her sternum, leaving her abdomen partly exposed. The material on the inside of the vest was extremely comfortable and breathed well. Aya ran her hand down the front of it, smiling as she passed over the swell of her breasts; it looked slightly like an armored sports bra.

"I absolutely love it," Aya said. "You're amazing."

Jodie curtsied daintily and blushed. "Why, thank you. The loop system covers the broad aspects of the vest and is compatible with all designs of attachable gear. You can customize it according to the requirements of each mission."

Aya sighed at the beautiful girl. She unstrapped the vest and placed it back on the table, from which Jodie had just picked up the handgun.

"It's weapons time," Jodie said. "To start we have your side arm. This weapon is a .45 tactical piece that can easily be concealed when necessary. The body is made from a special polymer composite formulated to be the most durable of its kind. It features a custom power extractor, match-grade ramped barrel, and a high capacity double-stack magazine. Right out of the box it features a fiber optic sighting system, but it also has railing that runs the length of the upper receiver and is compatible with nearly any accessory type available. The there is a laser sight built into the forward face of the trigger well and is a completely optional aiming alternative that can be turned on or off with the slight touch of a finger. I designed a very unique trigger mechanism found only in this gun, and the trigger squeeze is the smoothest and most consistent you'll ever see. Also, while most weapons can utilize tungsten carbide ammunition of some type, this one was designed specifically for tungsten rounds."

Jodie handed Aya the gun. "The textured grips are part of the pistol grip instead of separate pieces. They create an excellent hold with or without gloves."

"It feels great," Aya said. It was light and of a matte dark-grey color. She looked down the sight and was very impressed with the glowing rod on the front end. The dot it created was bright and easy to see. Aya imagined that near-instant target acquisition would be no problem with a sight like that and was looking forward to testing out on some NMC baddies later.

"My last gift to you is this lovely assault rifle," Jodie said. She picked up the rifle and eyed her own handiwork. "This weapon is an upgrade to the assault rifles used by special forces around the world. It is configured to fire the 6.8mm special purpose cartridge and, like your pistol, is specifically tailored to use tungsten-type ammunition. It is highly proficient in close quarters and features a 12-inch barrel. The stock folds in if you want it to. The non-reciprocating charging handle on left side also acts as a forward assist. Top and side rails allow you to mount anything you want. I've placed a fiber optic reflex sight on it for you, my own custom design, but feel free to take it off."

Jodie smiled sweetly and handed Aya the rifle. "It's compatible with a 40mm grenade launcher attachment."

Aya laughed and held her second new weapon. It matched her handgun in color and felt well-balanced in her hands. "I really don't know what to say, you've completely outdone yourself this time, Jodie."

"You're very important to me," Jodie said glancing downward shyly. "You coming back safe is the only thing that matters."

Aya made her way around the table to Jodie's side. She put her hands on Jodie's shoulders and looked into her eyes intently. "You're important to me, too," she said softly. "I don't know what I would do if I ever had to face an NMC incident without you in my corner." Aya moved her hands slowly up her shoulders and locked the behind Jodie's neck.

Jodie mustered up the courage to put her hands on Aya's hips. Her heart felt like it was beating its way out of her chest. They had never taken it this far before. The feelings she was having were driving her wild. She felt Aya pulling her in ever so gently, and Jodie slid her hands around Aya's petite waist and locked them across the small of her back. Barely able to breath, Jodie gazed into her special friend's eyes with more desire than she had ever felt in her life for anything or anyone. She could see it in Aya's eyes that she wanted her too, and it made her tingle hotly all over.

Aya was lost in Jodie's chocolaty eyes. Almost uncontrollably she was pulling the girl closer. She knew she had to be the one to start this or it would never happen, and Aya couldn't go on any longer trying to ignore how badly she wanted her friend; it was torture! She felt Jodie pulling her in as well. It felt right, it felt natural and wonderful. They had gotten so close over the last year; this was the next step for two girls who were so hopelessly into each other. It didn't make any sense to fight it anymore.

Without wasting a single more second, Aya placed her hands gently on Jodie's face and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. Their mouths engulfed each other lustfully as the girls released some of their pent up frustration over one another. Aya dropped her hands and draped her arms around Jodie's neck as they kissed, and Jodie ran her hands softly up and down Aya's sides. The girls' tongues intertwined and the sounds of their wet kissing filled the otherwise silent equipment room. Aya grabbed Jodie's hips and pushed her against the equipment table, never breaking contact with the girl's sensual lips. Long moments pass before they finally came up for air, still holding their bodies pressed together.

Jodie looked into Aya's big blue eyes, breathing hard and desperate for more of her. "I've been wanting that ever since I met you," she said. "What took you so long?"

Aya smiled and kissed her again, and for several more moments, softly now, their lips embracing tenderly as the girls slowly recovered their sanity. They parted and both giggled, rubbing noses and leaning their foreheads together.

"I wasn't sure how you would react," Aya said softly with her eyes closed. "And I'm scared of rejection, you know." She smiled shyly and nuzzled her friend again.

Jodie laughed. "Well, now you know." She hugged Aya close and nestled her face under her chin. "You see, I kind of have this little crush one you, just so you know."

Aya wrapped her arms around the girl and held her close. "Is that right? Well, I've kind of been fantasizing about you since I first saw you… just so you know…"

"When you get back maybe we can make those fantasies come true." Jodie kissed Aya's neck and smiled as her friend let out a throaty 'mm'.

"Yes, absolutely," answered Aya. She tilted her head to the side, giving Jodie as much neck as she wanted to put her mouth on. She wanted her so badly…

But it would have to be another time.

"I have to go," Aya said reluctantly. "Got some NMCs to take care of."

Jodie finally took her mouth off of Aya and said, "I know. Take your new gear; I know you will be happy with how they perform."

Aya slowly moved away from her friend to collect the equipment. She put on her Aya Skin, tucked the handgun in her the waist of her jeans and slung her assault rifle across her back.

"God, you look so hot all geared up," Jodie said with a shy giggle. Her cheeks blushed and she added, "It's okay to say those kinds of things now, right?"

Smiling Aya said, "Yes, it's very okay."

Jodie walked over to Aya once more and pulled her close by her hips. "Please be safe, Agent Brea, and come back to me, okay?" She kissed Aya sensually one last time before Aya had to go.

Aya returned the kiss, and when they parted she said, "You can count on it, Miss Bouquet."

She walked to the door and opened it, looking back one last time to give Jodie a wink, and then she was off to get the rest of her gear and head to Newport Beach, still tingling and feeling giddy all over about their new relationship.

* * *

><p>Baldwin didn't have any luck reaching Neo Ark, but the man sitting in his office right then was offering him some very interesting information.<p>

"Neo Ark isn't the only party interested in the possibilities of NMC development," the man was saying. "In fact, I have set this incident into motion with your Agent Brea specifically in mind. She will provide excellent data to continue developing more useful specimens in the future. Every military in the world will pay millions for the results."

"I'm interested," Baldwin said. "We will keep in contact, and if this goes as well as you say maybe we can continue a working relationship." He realized that he had been so caught off gaurd by the man's proposal that he hadnt even gotten his name. "And who are you?"

The man stood to leave, putting on his dark shades. "Call me Albert."


End file.
